Hitting showrooms several weeks ago, and lending a boost to a brand that is in need, is the 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander.

Its new grille caught my attention when the Outlander 2.4 SEL S-AWC model, with only a few hundred miles on its odometer, rolled into my driveway.

The big grille is shaped somewhat similar to Lexus’ spindle-type front. It, though, has many more parts, a mix of glossy black and chrome slats and bars, some positioned horizontally, some vertically. So many of them that as I continued studying it, I began to wonder what fun it might be to disassemble it, then put it back together. Mitsubishi calls it a “dynamic shield” grille.

The Outlander is a seven-passenger vehicle competing with a field of compact crossovers, most of which use only two rows of seats. A direct competitor, which like the Outlander is designed with three rows, is the Kia Sorento.

A smaller offering for Mitsubishi is the Outlander Sport, which is a foot shorter than the Outlander and is built with only two rows of seating.

A climb up the Big Thompson Canyon was an interesting test for the 3,500-pound Outlander, with its 166-horsepower, 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine. The Outlander’s former 6-speed automatic transmission has been replaced with a continuously variable type. Though the powertrain is not overly responsive, stick your foot into it and it will make the climb up the canyon with relative ease, and its CVT acceleration whine is not as exaggerated as some competitors.

Those continuously variable transmissions are becoming more commonplace (I won’t say popular), as a means for some automakers to increase fuel mileages. Of the past 25 cars I’ve driven and reviewed, about a third of them have been CVT-equipped.

Kathy and Bill Allen rode with us to The Other Side restaurant at lakeside in Estes Park, where we joined Kim Parker and Keith Brumley, Dale and Sandy Wells, Kurt and Tammy Wells and Brent and Tina Wells for Saturday night dinner.

A sport mode setting in the CVT mimicked a lower gear on the descent from Estes to Loveland and the Outlander maintained a nice gait down the canyon, with enough engine braking to avoid following too closely to the heavy traffic ahead. The S mode keeps the revs higher.

The Outlander SEL’s Super-All Wheel Control system, which can shift power between left and right on the front axle with its active front differential, has settings for normal, snow and lock, as well as a mild eco drive.

A retuned suspension and stiffened structure for ’16 have improved the handling of the Outlander, particularly through the preponderance of curves up and down the canyon. It’s a quiet cabin; its ride quality, firmed up with the altered suspension, can turn harsh on uneven road surfaces. A noticeable plus for performance of the Outlander is its relatively short turn circle of less than 35 feet.

A total of 250 miles, including the drive up and down the canyon, and a fairly even split of highway and stop-and-go in-city maneuvering produced an average of 25.1 miles per gallon of regular unleaded fuel.

The new Outlander’s interior has been dressed up with neatly fitted trim pieces, contrast-stitched leather seating surfaces, gloss black instrument panel, and roomy second-row seating with easy-to-fold seats. The third-row seating, though, is cramped beyond use by adults. Cargo space behind the third row is only 10.3 cubic feet; fold the third row and that expands to 33 cubic feet.

The Outlander SEL I drove carried a sticker price of $33,095, including Rockford Fosgate premium audio, navigation, lane-departure warning, rain-sensing wipers, power remote liftgate, power folding heated side mirrors, power sunroof and attractive two-tone 18-inch alloy wheels. Mitsubishi says its seven-passenger crossover is cheapest on the market.

Fifteen years ago, Mitsubishi was still a strong-selling import in the U.S. In the year 2000, Mitsu sold more than 314,000 new vehicles, headed by Galant, Eclipse and Mirage in the car line and the Montero Sport SUV. Mitsubishi’s sales last year were only 77,000.

Here are the specifications for the ’16 Mitsubishi Outlander 2.4 SEL S-AWC:

• Capacity 7-passenger crossover
• Wheelbase 105.1 inches
• Length 184.8 inches
• Width 71.3 inches
• Height 66.1 inches
• Curb Weight 3,494 pounds
• Track 60.6 inches front, rear
• Ground Clearance 8.5 inches
• Turn Circle 34.8 feet
• Drivetrain All-wheel-drive
• Engine 2.4-liter 4-cylinder
• Horsepower/Torque 166/162
• Transmission Continuously variable
• Steering electric power
• Suspension MacPherson strut front, multilink rear
• Fuel mileage estimate 24/29
• Fuel mileage average 25.1
• Fuel Tank 15.8 gallons, regular
• Wheels 18-inch
• Tires 225/55R18
• Cargo Volume 10.3 cubic feet
• Warranty 5 years/60,000 miles basic, 10/100,000 powertrain

Competitors Kia Sorento, Jeep Cherokee, Mazda CX-5, Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, Dodge Journey

Assembly Plant Okazaki, Japan

Parts Content Japan 100%

Base Price of Lowest Model $21,165; Base Price of Review Model $26,995; Destination Charge $850; Sticker Price $33,095.